American River Wildlife News
Trestle fire pushed bike trail off the rails
As Union Pacific crews work day and night to replace the wooden train trestle destroyed by a spectacular fire Thursday, cyclists who use the lower stretch of the American River bike trail are struggling with a detour that is awkward, confusing and potentially dangerous.
A test of the detour by The Bee on Monday afternoon found the route required cyclists traveling east from downtown toward the suburbs to dismount from their bikes at least twice, scale a steep, grassy section of the levee, go down the other side, along a dirt path, take up to six turns on surface streets -- some of them unmarked -- before scaling a steep ramp covered in thick gravel back onto the levee.
The levee eventually returns the cyclists to the bike trail, but not before a confusing split in the route and an unmarked turn onto a feeder trail.
The bike trail, which stretches from downtown 32 miles to Folsom Lake, is the essential artery for cycling commuters and attracts thousands more on weekends. It is Sacramento's signature recreational area and a key tourist destination.
Officials said the detour will be in place until May.
Currently, the signage along the detour is spotty and at times difficult to follow.
John Havicon, a county park ranger, said the county ran out of barricades used to mark the detour. The current signs actually say "Trail closed" with "closed" crossed out, replaced by a handwritten "detour."
More at The Sacramento Bee.